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“Do everything you can to get green card”: SF entrepreneur to H-1B workers stuck in U.S.
The post reflects growing frustration around the H-1B program—largely used by Indian professionals.
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Anushka Pathak - Tue, 23, Dec 2025
- 12:24 EST
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Representative Image / Canva
San Francisco-based Indian American entrepreneur Vijay Thirumalai urged H-1B visa holders facing prolonged delays to prioritize securing U.S. permanent residency, framing it as a necessary step amid growing uncertainty.
He described the situation as “brutal” for stranded Indian professionals caught in lengthy immigration backlogs and prolonged visa processing delays.
In the post shared on Dec. 23 on X, Thirumalai cited a Washington Post report that detailed how many professionals were stuck in India due to rescheduled visa interviews and advised them to “do everything you can to get [a] green card,” arguing that long-term stability and mobility outweighed short-term uncertainty.
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Every day, we have atleast 2-3 discovery calls with these H1B engineers who are stranded
— Vijay Thirumalai (@VijayT1609) December 23, 2025
People who mock the concept of being stranded, have no idea what is going thru
They have their homes, their jobs, kids school and their entire lives back in US, what was supposed to be a 2… https://t.co/zMSLrQeX6G
He said his firm receives two to three calls daily from affected engineers whose short visits to India have stretched into months because of canceled visa stamping appointments, disrupting employment, housing, and children’s schooling in the United States.
According to Thirumalai, recent delays are linked to new U.S. consular requirements mandating expanded social media vetting for H-1B and H-4 applicants, introduced in mid-Dec. 2025. The changes have pushed appointment availability into 2026 or later and reduced third-country processing options.
Thirumalai dismissed suggestions that workers should permanently relocate to India, citing economic and personal considerations.
Referring to currency exchange rates and broader uncertainty, he suggested investing “4–5 more years” to secure a green card and eventual citizenship, describing it as a way to gain “optionality” and “the best of all worlds” amid shifting political rhetoric and growing concerns over AI-driven job disruption.
4-5 years to get a green card ?
— Vinay Gambhir (@vinaygambhir) December 23, 2025
Which world ?
Indians need to wait atleast 20 years if they file in eb2/eb3.
Wake up, smell the coffee and build your future elsewhere
His comments, however, triggered strong criticism online. Several respondents challenged his timeline. One reply said, “4–5 years to get a green card? Which world? Indians need to wait atleast 20 years if they file in eb2/eb3. Wake up, smell the coffee and build your future elsewhere.”
No way you will get GC in 4-5 years unless you get it through EB-1. Normal processing will take 15-20 years for most people. Go to some other country, if you have just started in your career.
— LeftyCricketer (@LeftyCricketer9) December 23, 2025
Another commenter wrote, "No way you will get GC in 4-5 years unless you get it through EB-1. Normal processing will take 15-20 years for most people. Go to some other country, if you have just started in your career."
Last I heard, the GC was an 18 year wait for Indian nationals. Many are trying to marry Indians with US Citizenship to get around the entire backlog, even if there is a caste mismatch.
— mark vilimek (@MarkVilimek) December 23, 2025
A user corrected Thirumalai by noting that "the GC was an 18 year wait for Indian nationals," and that "many are trying to marry Indians with US Citizenship to get around the entire backlog, even if there is a caste mismatch."
Other users criticized workers for relocating families on temporary visas, while some welcomed the delays and urged professionals to return to India.
The post, which garnered nearly 90,000 views and more than 550 replies, reflects growing frustration around the H-1B program—largely used by Indian professionals—and renewed calls for structural immigration reform.
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